Yoke for draft-gear.



G. A. CARSUADIN pG.- A. WOODMAN.

Yom you DRAFT GEAR. APPLIUATION FILED HAILSI, 1913.

Patented Get. 28, 1913.

CHARLES A.

CARSCAIIN AND GEORGE A. W'OOIDMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

'YOKE FOR DRAFT- GEAR.

To all whom z' may concern.'

Be it knovvn that ive, CHARLES A. Cans- CADIN and Gnonon .L lVoonui-iiv, citizens of the United States, both residing at Chicago, in the county of `Cook and State of Illinois, have jointly invented certain new and use- `ful Improv ments in Yokcs for Draft-Gear, ot` which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates in general to yokes for draft gear and has for its object broadly to provide a voke which will receive and interlockingly engage with the head of the draw-bar of a coupler.

A. further object of our invention is to provide a yoke for a draw-bar which may be easily connected and disconnected from the dravvbar and which, when connected therewith, Will` prevent relative movement' ot the dravv-bar and yoke` i EL still further object ot the invent-ion is to provide a yoke both keyed and intcrlocked with the drawbar, the connections between the tivo being so constructed as to minimize the danger of damage from the jars and shocks incidental to the coupling and uncoupling of the cars and the starting` and stopping of the train.

An additional object of the invention is to so construct and armrange the parts of the yoke that should `the connection between the yoke and draw-bar be broken through Weakness oit the material forming the same or through an unusually severe shock, the draw-bar and yoke can again be operatively connect-ed by the substitution of new connecting means which may be stored in the car without occupying appreciable space.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying dravvin illustrating preferred e1nbodi ments tiereof.

On the drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a yoke embodying our invention operative-ly connected to the draw-bar of the coupler, a portionof the latter being broken away; Fig. 2 is a partial transverse longitudinal section through the yoke Fig. Bis a transverse sectional view taken oi] the line of F ig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the removable retaining side Wall and integral key; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View showing another embodiment of our invention. I

Referring to the drawing, the yoke eom- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 31, 1913.

Patented oet. es, 1913. Serial No. 757,840.

prises the body portion or member 11 consisting of a pair ot' parallelly disposed arms 12 connected at their rear ends at 13 between which may be received the usual butling plates and springs (not shown).. At the forward ends of the arlns 12 and extending inwardly therebetween are provided oppositely disposed lugs 14. adapted to seat behind the enlarged head 15 with which the regulation draw-bar lo' is provided. The arms 12 are spaced apart an appropriate distance to permit the head 15 of the drawbar to rest therebetween in contact with the inner faces of each arm. An abutment- 17, consisting in the present instance of ribs disposed transversely of the inner 'faces of and made integral with the arms 12, is provided to prevent movement of the head of the draw-bar inwardly oi the arms when the draiv-bar is subjected to a bulng action as a result of coupling the cars or stoppingthe train of which the car forms a unit. The lugs 14 and ribs 17 are spaced apart an appropriate distance to permit the head of the draw-bar to fit properly between them. The head of the draw-bar is positioned between the arms 12 by inserting it at one side and moving it transversely across and between the arms 12 and between the lugs `1&1 and ribs 17.

ln the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. l to 4 inclusive the arms-12 are connected at one side by a stationary retaining Wall 18 preferably made integral vwith the arms and extending from the forward edge ot the ribs 17 to beyond the lugs 1li and formed int-o a Wing 19 beyond the lugs. The arms are connected at the other side by a removable Wall 21 which is positioned after the head of the draw-bar is in place between the arms. The removable retaining Wall 21 has substantially the shape ot the stationary wall 18 and like the stationary Wall is provided with a forwardly extending Wing 22. The Wall 21 is recessed at 23 for the reception ot' the lugs 14 and is provided with oppositely extending tenons 24 fitting into mortises 25 in the adjacent edges of the arms 12, these mortises and tenons 'forming dovetailed connections between the removable Wall and the arms. When the removable wall is in position its rear edge is in contact with the ribs 17 forming the abutment for the head ot the vdraw-bar. In this embodiment of the in vention a key 26 is provided Which is inioo aperture 27 tegral with the removable wall and passes through suitably formed apertures 26 in the head 15 of the draw-bar and through an in the stationary wall 18, beyond which a split key 28 positioned through a slot 29 is provided to hold the draw-bar and removable wall in lace. lVhen the parts are assembled the head 15 of the draw-bar is in contact with the stationary wall, the removable wall and the ad jacent portions of the arms 12, these portions of the arms, and the stationary and removable walls all forming retaining walls which entirely encompass the head of the draw-bar. lVhen the draft gear is assembled, the draw-bar is preferably connected to the yoke before the yoke and dra w-bar are fixed in place within the draft gear,

the yoke being preferably placed upon the iioor or ground with the side which is to receive the removable side wall uppermost. The head of the draw-bar is then dropped into this opening into position after which,

. tionship with upon turning the yoke and draw-bar upon a side adjacent this removable sith` wall, the split key may be inserted through the recess in the end of the key and the'yoke and draw-bar thus engaged placed in the draft gear. I

In Fig. 5 is disclosed a somewhat modified embodiment of our invention in which two removable side walls 31 are provided. These side walls are each in the present instance exact duplicates of the removable side wall 21 of tlie embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to l, except that the pin 32 is not constructed integral with either wall but is merely positioned through suitable recesses through the side walls and through the draw-bar Where it is held in place by split keys 33, one upon each side of the yoke.

It Awill be noted that both the removable walls and the head of the draw-bar are in contact with and restrained against independent longitudinal movement by the lugs 14 and the abutment or ribs 17. This abutment and the lugs form an interlocking connection between the draw-bar and yoke, and

this connection aided by the key and the dovetail connection between the removable' walls and the arms 12 so strongly joins the yoke and draw-bar that there is little danger of any of the parts beingdamaged from the shocks and jars 0f usage. If the draw-bar be forced from its normal relathe yoke, the lugs 14 or the abutment 17 and the tenons 24 of the removable walls must be sheared off as these parts are the only ones which can. give way. Should the draw-bar receive a shock sulicient to break its connection with the yoke it may be again connected therewith by replacing the damaged removable walls with new ones. The shearing off of the tenons of the old walls will not damage the mortises in the arms, so that the tenons of the new walls may be engaged in the mort-ises in the arms and this connection will be found to be of sufficient strength to permit the damaged car to be hauled to the nearest repair station. The two eXtra pair of walls for each car, one for each coupler, will not occupy appreciable space and can be readily carried and employed when occasion de mands.

lt is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing without any further description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of t-he parts of the yoke and of the draw-bar without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore disclosed being merely preferred embodiments thereof.

1. A yoke for a draft gear comprising a body portion adapted to receive the head of a draw-bar 'and provided with retaining walls adapted to engage the sides of the said head, one of said retaining walls being removable to permit the head of the draw-bar to be inserted transversely between the walls adjacent said removable wall, said removable wall and said adjacent walls being constructed 'to permit the said removable wall to be moved transversely of the adjacent walls' into retaining position between said adjacent walls, andmeans for locking said removable wall in position.

2. A yoke for a draft gear comprising a body portion adapted to receive the head of a draw-bar and provided with retaining walls for engaging the sides of the said head, one of the said retaining walls beingremovable to permit the head of the drawba-r to be inserted transversely between the retaining walls adjacent said removable wall, and means connected. to said removable wall and disposed through the drawbar and the wall opposite said removable wall for retaining said removable wall and draw-bar in position.

3. A yoke .for a draft gear comprising a body portion adapted to receive the head of a draw-bar and provided with retaining walls for engaging the sides of the said head, one of said retaining walls being removable to permit the head of the draw-bar to be inserted transversely between the re-` taining walls adjacent said removable wall and the walls adjacent said removable wall being provided with oppositely disposed lugs for engaging the head of the said drawbar and for engaging the said removable wall, and means for retaining the said removable wall in engagement with the lugs of the adjacent walls.

position.

4. A yoke for a draft gear comprising a body portion adapted to receive the head of a draw bar and provided with retaining vwalls for engaging said head, one of said retaining walls being removable to permit the head of the draw bar to .be inserted transversely between the retaining walls adjacent said removable wall each of said adjacent walls being provided with an inwardly extending shoulder at its outer" end and a transversely disposed abutment spaced inwardly from said shoulder in position to engage the end of the head of the draw bar, said removable wall beingl of ap propriate dimension to engage between and with said abutmentsl and shoulders and means for holding said removable wall in 5. A yoke for a draft gear comprising a body portion adapted to receive the head of -a dra'w-bar and' provided with retaining walls for engaging the sides' of the sai head. a pair of said retaining walls being provided with oppositely disposed transversely extending lugs at their outer ends and a wall adjacent said pair of walls be- Copies of this lpatent may be obtained for ing removable and provided with recesses" interlockinglyn connect the said removable wall to the said pair of walls,` and means for retaining the said removable wall in po sition. j

7. A yoke for a draft gear comprising a body portion adapted to receive the head of a draw-bar and provided 'with retaining walls for engaging the sides of said head, one of said retaining walls being removable to permit the draw-(bar to be inserted transversely between the lretaining walls adjacent said removable wall, said removable wall being provided with oppositely and outwardly extending tenons and said adjacent walls being provided with is'uitably formed mortises for the lreception of said tenons, and means for retaining said reinovable wall in position whereby its tenons 4are interlocked with the mortises of adjacent walls. i j

8. A yoke for a draft gear 'comprising a body portion adapted to receive the head of a draw-bar and provided with retaining walls for engaging the sides of the said head, one ofr said retaining walls being removable and provided with an integral key adapted to bev disposed through the said draw-bar .and through the wall opposite said removable wall and. to be fastened beyond said opposite wall to retain the said removable wall and draw-bar imposition.

CHARLES A. OARSCADN\ GEORGE A. WOODMAN.

Witnesses:

J. C. CARPENTER, M. A. KIDDm.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. f

`4.11' adapted to receive the ends of said lugs to. v41, 

